White House Fence Jumper Faces a Year in Jail

Omar Gonzalez, who jumped over the White House fence September 19 armed with a knife, agreed to a plea deal on Friday. The deal will commit him to jail for a year to 18 months and cost him $3,000 to as much as $30,000.

Until Gonzalez is sentenced on June 8, he will be imprisoned without bond, although charges of assaulting an officer will be dropped along with charges of carrying a weapon outside of a home or business.

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Despite the fact that police found 800 rounds of ammunition, a machete, and two hatchets in a car nearby, charges of unlawful possession of ammunition and of a feeding device capable of using large-capacity ammunition will also be removed.

Gonzales was successful in reaching the White House’s East Room, where he was caught and found with a folding knife that had a three and a half inch blade. He told a federal agent that the reason he had jumped the fence was to tell Barack Obama that the atmosphere was collapsing.

Gonzales, 42, was an Iraqi war veteran. US Attorney Ronald Machen said, “We are pleased that Mr, Gonzalez has chosen to take responsibility for his incomprehensible decision to leap a fence and charge into the White House with a knife. He is lucky to be alive.”

Gonzalez was accosted by Virginia police in July. Secret Service Agents spoke to Gonzalez twice last summer but decided he did not pose a security threat.